Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was asked Tuesday night in an interview with CNN about the rise in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and struggled to explain why Israel has been unable to stop the phenomenon. After saying it involved only a small group of about 150 young people and that the government was acting against them, Netanyahu blamed the judicial system, claiming that courts tend to be lenient toward suspects brought before them.
During the interview, CNN anchor Dana Bash raised the issue at the end of the conversation and mentioned the arson attack on a Palestinian restaurant earlier this week in the area of the villages of Luban e-Sharkiya and Ammuriya, south of Nablus. The restaurant owner and the head of the Luban e-Sharkiya council, Yaakov Aweis, told ynet that more than 100 settlers arrived at the site, fired at the restaurant, broke into it and set it on fire. The IDF said after the incident that the suspects fled before troops arrived and that evidence and findings had been collected.
Prime Minister Netanyahu was asked in an interview with CNN about the rise in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank
(צילום: מתוך CNN)
“There are violent attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians,” Bash told Netanyahu. “I know, and I’ve heard you say, that these are just thugs, but my question is: If they are just thugs, why won't or can't you stop them?”
Netanyahu responded that Israel was in fact acting against those involved in violence and said the perpetrators were a small group that did not represent the settler community.
It's 150 or so kids, teens who are brought into the West Bank” he said. “They are not, by the way, part of the settler community. The overwhelming majority of settlers are model citizens — they serve in the army and obey the law. And unfortunately, they are attacked by Palestinian terrorists on the roads who massacre families.”
Bash pressed him: “But you are the Israeli government. You should be able to stop them, particularly given the enormous impact this is having globally on seeing this happening, this images.”
Netanyahu replied that the incidents caused significant reputational damage to Israel, but argued that the scope of the phenomenon was exaggerated.
Yaakov Aweis, told that more than 100 settlers arrived at the site, fired at the restaurant, broke into it and set it on fire
“This is blown up beyond belief and causes a lot of damage. I think it’s wrong on its own account. I don’t accept vigilantism, and I don’t care if it comes from Arabs or Jews. Our citizens cannot practice violence against anyone.”
The prime minister added that the use of force was the role of law enforcement authorities.
“If force needs to be used, that is the role of law enforcement — the police and the army. And therefore, we are taking action against them,” Netanyahu said.
He also placed responsibility on the courts.
Gallery
More than 100 settlers arrived at the site, fired at the restaurant, broke into it and set it on fire
(Photo: JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP)
(Photo: JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP)
“It’s a tightly knit group that tries to skirt the law, and when we bring them to the courts, our courts are very lenient. I don’t know why,” he said. “Maybe because they’re young, and I’ve said that we have to challenge that, and I don’t accept it.”
Netanyahu again sought to emphasize that the perpetrators do not represent all settlers or Israeli society as a whole.
“I want to put things in perspective,” he said. “It's not the settler community because they the settler community condemns them. It's not the people of Israel because we condemn them.”
At the end of the interview, Bash asked Netanyahu whether he would commit to ensuring that those responsible for the death of Sayfollah Musallet are brought to justice.
Sayfollah Musallet
Musallet, a 20-year-old Palestinian-American from Florida, was killed in July last year near the village of Sinjil, north of Ramallah. His family said he was beaten to death by settlers and that medical assistance was delayed for hours. The IDF said at the time that the incident began as a violent confrontation involving stone throwing and property damage and that the circumstances were under investigation.
“I’m not sure, but I will look into it, certainly, because you raised it,” Netanyahu replied. “I try to ensure that whenever such an incident occurs, a real investigation is carried out. Israel is a transparent country. Things cannot be hidden. Crimes in the army cannot be hidden and crimes in the police cannot be hidden. That is simply not how it works. Therefore, whatever the claim may be, we will examine it and deal with it, because that is the country we are.”
After the interview, CNN correspondent in Israel Jeremy Diamond addressed Netanyahu’s remarks and said that the description of the violence as involving only about 150 young criminals did not reflect the full picture. According to Diamond, military officials he spoke with estimated that the number of people involved in violence reached into the hundreds and said the government had reduced tools previously used to deal with Jewish extremists, including administrative detention.
Diamond added, however, that he had also heard criticism from military officials over what they described as the leniency shown by courts in some cases.
First published: 04:23, 07.09.26